When using a software application such as a browser, the layout of the page is not designed for use with a touchscreen. Web pages are designed for personal computers using a mouse input. Using a touchscreen with a stylus pointer works well because the tip of the pointer is small. The small tip of the stylus pointer allows a user to select the desired object, even when objects are close together.
However, using a finger to select an object presents unique challenges, especially when objects are close together. Because a finger is large relative to a touchscreen, the user cannot see a desired object located under his finger. Secondly, if objects are positioned on the touchscreen close together, the large contact area of the finger makes it difficult to determine which object is being selected.
Other approaches for implementing finger selection of objects on a touchscreen include enlarging the area of the screen where the finger is touching. However, this requires an application rewrite. Furthermore, while the zoom is active, another area of the page that was previously visible will no longer be visible. This degrades the user experience.
Therefore, what is needed is an improved method for moving a cursor and selecting objects on a touchscreen using a finger.